Getting your Puppy Training Perfect

Force-free puppy classes and dog training classes in Malvern, Worcester, and Hereford. Good for Dogs! is the only training school in Worcestershire and Herefordshire that incorporates the hugely popular tutored Puppy Walks as part of the puppies' training. Aggressive and fearful reactive dogs benefit from individual training to gently reframe their view of the world and build the confidence to be able to attend group classes.

Are you getting a puppy? There's a lot to decide - male or female? Big or small? Pedigree or Crossbreed? But there's one thing you can be sure of - Good for Dogs! is the place to go to turn your bundle of fluff and teeth into a loyal and well-behaved family friend you can take anywhere and be proud of.

Our puppy classes are always small, they're indoors, and the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. Owners are shown how to get the most out of their relationship with their new companion, and the puppy training methods used are all gentle and crucially involve the puppy being able to make choices. The emphasis in all our classes is on Life Skills - those things that make life with a dog run smoothly and enjoyably.

The Good for Dogs! Trainer is Beverley Courtney, who has a long history of working with dogs, training them and competing with them.

"I love watching the spark of comprehension in a dog's eyes when he gets the new game you're playing with him - it's all games to them!" That new game may be coming when called, walking nicely on the lead, or playing gently with the children.

At Good for Dogs! there's no shouting, no throwing things, and no pushing or pulling dogs around. "Those puppy training methods went out with the ark," says Beverley, "People used to beat children and send them up chimneys, but we've changed our approach to teaching them - the same goes for dogs."

Good for Dogs! Puppy Classes stress the importance of early socialisation - indeed plenty of experienced dog-owners and vets know how valuable that is and come to class principally for the positive experiences their puppy will enjoy there. For many people the frequent tutored Puppy Walks are the star of the course!

"We have thoroughly enjoyed the course and more importantly so has Oscar. He has come on leaps and bounds - we are very proud of him. We're both very, very happy with the course and your method of puppy training. Thanks for making the training fun and enjoyable!"

You'll learn Walking nicely on the lead, Coming fast when called, How to play effectively, and Meeting other dogs and people calmly. We also explore door manners, dog tricks, and a lot of calm self-control from the dogs. So it's a great follow-on class for Puppy Class graduates, too.

"Teenage dogs are just like teenage people," Beverley told us. "Your charming puppy hits six or seven months and seems to have forgotten everything you learnt together!" This is a time when lots of dogs get rehomed due to bad behaviour, but in most cases a bit of help and guidance is all that's needed to get them through this tricky period.

"Excellent course - can't believe the progress in 6 weeks. Beverley clearly understands the dynamic between dog and owner and how to enhance the relationship between them. Above all, the classes were great fun!"

Labrador owner, Malvern

"The Good for Dogs! course has given us the tools to help our dog to grow up and be as we want him to be - so that we're all happy."

Terrier owner, Longdon

Classes are held in Malvern, Worcester, and Hereford, with people travelling from all over Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire for this type of puppy and dog training.

Home Visits

Quite often, problems you may be experiencing at home can most easily be solved at home. So a very popular feature of Good for Dogs! is a home visit. Suitable for new puppies, older dogs, rescue dogs, and new owners too.

Beverley will come out to you and show you how to train better behaviours, and give you management tips while you are working on this with your dog. You can arrange follow-up visits, or simply phone or email for guidance while you're working through the protocols.

Testimonials

The classes are fabulous - I liked the learning of a different method of training. The small classes meant all got 1-1 attention. A great course - thanks!
Cairn Terrier owner, Fernhill Heath

Really well taught by knowledgeable tutor. The Handouts and Videos are fab!
Shih Tsu owner, Malvern

I liked the methods and speed of success. Puppy Walks are brilliant! You've given us the confidence we needed to have a lovely and (mostly!) well-behaved puppy. Thank you.
Terrier owners, Bartestree, Herefordshire

I really liked the calm, clear instructions and the online support. The Handouts and videos are all very good and well put together. We've thoroughly enjoyed the course.
Border Collie owners, Norton